Why Adopt?
An unfortunate side effect
of the recent economic downturn has been an increase in pets being taken to shelters
as their owners face foreclosure or other financial hardship. While news of dogs
and cats being relinquished has practically become commonplace, birds are just as
affected by the crisis. Exotic birds are being abandoned or dropped at shelters
because their owners cannot move into an apartment or a relative's home with the
sometimes noisy animals, according to a recent news article by Reuters. Taking care
of a bird also requires significant financial and time commitments, so it's possible
that individuals who may have to work longer hours at second or third jobs to make
ends meet could be making the choice to give up their pets. This is nothing
to be ashamed of, it is just a fact of life.
Parrots like conures, amazons,
macaws, and cockatoos are problematic because they have not undergone the same process
of long captive breeding and genetic selection. Highly intelligent, these birds
are still wild animals, even when bred in captivity. As such, their normal behavior
can make them difficult and demanding to live with, especially if you live in a
small apartment or are temporarily living with friends and family.
Issues like size, noise,
destructive behavior, mess, biting, and behavioral vices, coupled with a lifespan
of 50 years or more, can make exotic birds inappropriate as pets for the average
owner. Because of these humane reasons, these animals are not recommended as pets
for everyone. Most people simply cannot provide for the many complex psychological
needs of such birds, causing the birds to suffer for their entire lives. This
following link shows why we do what we do.
http://www.madmacaws.net/TheArticle.html
There are somewhere between
10 million to 17 million birds kept as pets in the United States alone. Numbers
vary based on who conducts the survey but in any case, there are a large number
of pet birds. Exotic birds are the third most popular companion pet behind dogs and cats.
Here is the very sad story of BoBo the Moluccan Cockatoo.
God created the earth and all the
creatures on it to be under the authority of humanity. He entrusted these beautiful
beings of creation to our care. "...and let them rule over the fish of the sea and
the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures
that move along the ground." (Genesis 1:26). We are also commanded to know the health
and well being of the creatures under our care. God says to us in Proverbs
27:23: "Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to
your herds." In Job 38:41, God says
that He hears the cries of newborn ravens crying to Him for food. Jesus went on
to say that God supplies food for the wild birds and that not one of them falls
to the ground without Him knowing it (Matthew 6:26, 10:29).
Never let yourself be fooled, these
birds that we have taken as companions are still wild animals that consider us their
flock. As such frustration, mutilation, screaming and other bad habits arise that
causes problems for us.
Do you still think you are you a bird person? Do you have questions about the rescue?
Check out ourFAQ
section. If you want to adopt one of our birds, check out our Available Birds.
If you see a bird you would like to adopt, please review our
Adoption
procedures and fill out the Adoption Form.
So how can you help us at Amazing
Grace Bird Rescue?
We always need volunteers to help.
There are cages to clean, birds to feed, birds to socilize, and other chores that
need to be done. If this sounds like something you want to do, please fill
out an application. <More
info coming soon>
All of our locations operate at or
near capacity . Another way you can help us is to foster a bird in your home.
The same rules as adoption apply. Please review the
Adoption
procedure and fill out the Foster Application.
Maybe you need to surrender your companion to us. Please
Contact Us.
There are many other ways you can
help too and the most important way is to pray for us that God will provide opportunities
to rescue and rehabilitate these precious creatures of God.